Shanggantang Village

Shanggantang Village is a picturesque village with antique and quaint architectures. Entering into the village, you will feel as if you were in a land of idyllic beauty. Shanggantang Village is 25 kilometers from Jiangyong County, 86 kilometers from Yangshuo and 125 kilometers from Guilin. It has 453 households and 1,865 residents. Except 7 households who immigrated there after the founding of China, the other households all have the same family name of Zhou. The clansmen of the Zhou families began to settle in Shanggantang Village from the Song Dynasty, and they have been there from generation to generation until today. Shanggantang Village can be ranked as the oldest village that has been discovered in Hunan Province.

In the village, more than 200 ancient dwellings of the Ming and Qing dynasties are well preserved, and there are also a large number of ancient buildings of the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as Wechang Pavilion, Bu Ying Bridge and stone fences. The village, with the history of one thousand of years, still survives, and its name and location never change. According to archaeological experts, Shanggantang Village can be regarded as a miracle, due to its completely preserved characteristics, including architectures, commerce, academy of classical learning and religions.

In the south of Shanggan Village, there is an ancient stone bridge named Bu Ying Bridge, dating back to the Song Dynasty. It is 27 metes long and 4.5 meters wide, looking exquisite, after the renovation in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Bu Ying Bridge is the only ancient bridge of the Song Dynasty that has been discovered in Hunan Province.